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Fried Green Tomato Hornworms
Yield: 4 servings
What does a tomato hornworm taste like? Well, what would
you taste like if you'd been stuffing yourself solely with tomato leaves for the
better part of a month? Hornworms are ridiculously chlorophyll-rich. They taste great
with just about any summer vegetable, but my favorite recipe draws inspiration from
the cuisine of the Whistle Stop Cafe, that fictitious Alabama diner made famous by
novelist Fanny Flagg.
"You'll think you died and gone to heaven," boasts Flagg of her recipe.
To which I add, "If you do go to heaven, ask the Powers That Be to keep
the tomato hornworms out of my vegetable patch."
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 tomato hornworms
- 4 medium green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- White cornmeal
In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil. Then lightly fry the hornworms, about
4 minutes, taking care not to rupture the cuticles of each insect under high heat.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper, then coat with cornmeal on both sides.
In a large skillet, fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides
Top each round with 2 fried tomato hornworms.
Garnish the paired hornworms with a single basil leaf.
For more recipes…
PLUS
a video clip of David on Late Night with Conan O'Brien Show!
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